Assistant Principal's report 

Welcome new families

It has been lovely to welcome some new families to Kalinda this term, thank you to our teachers, students and community who have welcomed them so warmly. I am always so grateful to be a part of Team Kalinda when people move to the area and quickly hear about our fantastic school. Our reputation precedes us and I hope that your time at Kalinda lives up to that! 

Farewell Katrina 

Late last week Katrina Lister let us know that she had offered her resignation to Theircare and was finishing up her time as co-ordinator in our Theircare program. Katrina's warmth, creativity and kindness will be greatly missed by many families and we wish her well in her future endeavours. Theircare will communicate further staffing arrangements with families.

Food Sharing

We've had a few questions lately regarding our Food and Food Sharing policies at Kalinda. Our policies are outlined on our school website and our First Officer Brooke Witherow has also outlined the main points on the First Aid page of this week's newsletter. 

At Kalinda Primary School we follow Royal Children's Hospital advice which is that we do not specifically 'ban' food products but instead encourage our community to be mindful of the allergies that we have in our community and pack lunchboxes accordingly. If a child brings peanut butter or egg in their sandwich for example, they may be asked to eat in a designated space away from some classmates, and to ensure that their hands and table are cleaned thoroughly after eating.

At Kalinda however, we do not allow food sharing between students. Our policy states that we do not give food rewards or share food unless this has been communicated with families in advance. This includes celebrating birthdays or Christmas, please do not send edible gifts (including lollies) for friends.

Hats

It is compulsory to wear a broad-brimmed hat outside at school (PE, playtimes, class games, gardening etc) from Day 1 of Term 4. Students who do not have a suitable hat will be asked to play in a designated shady spot under the shelter of our buildings.

Dates to remember

Our Save the Date page has some key dates for 2024 already so if you are planning holidays or other special family events please take note of our term dates, camps, and School Photo Day. 

Take care Kalinda, you are very important to me. 

Lauren Hopkins